Insulation for oil storage tanks



S. C. LYON INSULATION FOR OIL STORAGE TANKS Filed Dec. 16, 1936 AIQULD LEVEL Oct. 24, 1939.

' Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSULATION FOR OIL STORAGE TANKS Scott 0. Lyon, Bexley, Ohio, assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 16, 1936, Serial No. 116,096 2 Claims. (01. 220-1) This invention relates to insulation for liquid The stagnant layer of liquid retained by the storage receptacles, the primary object being to bafiies restrains the convection flow of the liqprovide an oil storage tank with improved means uids adjacent to the walls of the tank, where y of stopping the loss of heat from the oil to the most of the heat is lost by conduction through 5 atmosphere. the said walls. These stagnant layers are grad- 5 In the refining of the petroleum, it is very often ually cooled and serve as insulation between the desirable to keep certain fractions of the oil in liquid in e a k and the atmosphere side a liquid condition so that they may be readily the Walls of the tank. The cooling of the liquid removed from the storage tanks and blended with in e tank is g y retarded y the insulation l0 other oils or treated as such. These fractions, furnished y i g t y e liquid when first obtained by distillation, are generally Stflred n the k ay b pt at a uniform temof low viscosity while maintained at the high D e f desired by means of h g coils or temperatures, but upon cooling, they become very Other heat-furnishing mediums With y little viscous and it i ofte found that they t be loss of heat to the atmosphere. The insulation reheated before they can be pumped or removed is generally sufiicient to keep the liquid hot with- 15 from the storage tanks by other means. Accordin e d ired temperature range under prolonged ing to this invention, it has been found th t an periods of time without outside means of heating. oil storage tank may be so constructed that the Wh a p f rr d embodiment of the invenoil itself will serve as the insulating material. ti011 has b Shown and described, it Will be The invention will be fully understood from understood that various modifications can be 20 the following description taken in connection with made h r W n th Scope f e i v nt n.

the drawing in which, and such modifications are intended to be cov- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the storage tank Bred by the ap claimsconstructed in accordance with the invention, I'olaimt e and v 1. In combination with a storage tank, a series 25 Fig. 2 is a, vertical transverse sectional view of baflles pla d inspa relation to he bottaken at II-II of Fig. 1. tom of the tank, attached to the walls of the Referring to the drawing, reference numeral I- tank and extending inwardly and downwardly designates a. tank which may be cylindrical in from said walls of the tank. no form and which is adapted to contain a liquid 2, 2. In combination with a storage tank for liqsuch as oil or the like. Other types of tanks may uids, a means for insulating said tank comprisalso be used according to this invention, such as mg a s ri s f p p ra pa ts d sthose of square or rectangular shape. Tank. posed vertically of the tank all opening downmay be provided with a roof 3. 'Baifles 4 are atwardly and inwardly into communication with tached to the walls of tank I and project outthe liquid contents of said tank and providin f r 35 wardly and downwardly. The baffles insure a a layer of liquid immediately adjacent the tank stagnant layer of liquid along the walls of the walls which layer is substantially free of contank. These baflles are slanted downwa'rdly'sufllvection currents. ciently to permit the complete drainage of the SCO'I'I C. LYON. 40 oil or other liquid on emptying the tank. 40 

